Boat transport device

ABSTRACT

Many times boats have to be transported over land in order to reach a body of water. Such boats can be readily transported by attaching a single wheeled device, preferably to the center seat board of the boat, inverting the boat, and by use of handles on the stern board of the boat guiding and propelling the boat to the body of water. The single wheeled device is firmly attached to the boat in a way that there will be no play between the transport device and boat as the boat is being transported. Further, the single wheeled device may also carry a seat board reinforcing member.

United States Patent Windemuth 51 June 20, 197 2 [54] BOAT TRANSPORTDEVICE FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Inventor: Kenneth Windemulh,Mount Savage, 141,679 6/1951 Australia ..9 1 T 22 Filed: Aug. 18, 1970 yExaminer-Benjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-John A. Pekar [21] App]. No.:64,701 Attorney-JOSCph P. Nigon [52] U.S. Cl. ..280/47.32, 280/414 A[57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl ..B62b 1/18 [58] Field of Search......2s0/47.32, 47.13 B, 79.1, 414 A; Many boats have be transported Overe Order 9/1 T reach a body of water. Such boats can be readilytransported by attaching a single wheeled device, preferably to thecenter [56} Reierencts Cited seat board of the boat, inverting the boat,and by use of handles on the stern board of the boat guiding andpropelling the UNITED STATES PATENTS I boat to the body of water. Thesingle wheeled device is firmly 2,361,592 10/1944 Bjork "280/4732 Xattached to the boat in a way that there will be no play 3,375,0793/l968 O'Day..... '....280/47.32 between the transport device and boatas the boat is being 3,284,821 1 H1966 zol'efic 280/4732 X transported.Further, the single wheeled device may also carry 2.395,7 l 7 2/1946Bjork ..'..9/1 T a eat board reinforcing member, 3,013,807 12/1961Wimerhoff.... ...280/79.l 3,068,024 12/1962 Berliner ..280/414 A 2Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEnJlmzo m2 RH OT TU NM EE VD mm W C H EN N E K Q I W M 6,60%) ATTORNE non TRANSPORT DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to a single wheeled boat transportdevice. This invention further relates to a means of portaging a boatover terrain to a body of water for subsequent use.

Many bodies of water, and particularly many which are very good inregard to sport fishing, are located distances off main highways andservice trails. This requires the portaging of the boat to be used fordistances of up to several miles. Such portaging may be by carrying aboat, but this is not readily feasible when the boat is large or thedistance long. Further, if a person is by himself such a means isvirtually impossible. Those in the art have proposed many solutions tothis problem. Some of these have been wheeled devices which areremoveably attached to a boat, while others are an integral part of aboat. The solutions tendered thus far, however, are relatively complex.These generally comprise multiwheeled devices. The present inventionprovides a simple single wheeled device which transports the boat withrelative ease.

. Further this simple single wheeled device is easily stored in the boatwhile the boat is in use obviating any problems of securing a largermore complex device on shore while the boat is in use on the lake, riveror so on.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a simple singlewheeled device useful for portaging boats over land.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a simple device forportaging boats which is easily attached and unattached, is of lightweight, and which is readily storable.

It a further an object of this invention to provide a simple singlewheeled boat portaging device which can be 'firmly fastened to a seatboard of the boat so that when the boat is portaged over land, therewill be no play between the boat and single wheeled portaging device.

It is additively an object by use this invention to set outa simplemeans whereby use of the device of this invention a boat can be easilyand rapidly portaged to a body of water.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention. consists of a singlewheeled boat portaging and by means of handles on the stern boardpropelled over land.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS I balanced, steered, and propelledusin'g handles commonly FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of thesingle 1 of the dowel carried by the base plate and which passes throughthe seat board to obviate any play between the portaging attachmentdevice and boat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention comprises a simple,but yet very efiicient means for portaging a boat for comparatively longdistances over land. By the use of a single wheeled device firmlyattached to a seat board of a boat, the boat can be inverted, balanced,propelled and directed over land. The boat is found on the stem panel ofa boat or by gripping theboat itself. This device further when not inuse can be readily stored within the boat. I

A more detailed description will now be set out with reference to theseveral views in the drawings, In FIG. 1, 10 is a boat having hullsidewalls ll terminating in rolled edge 12. Seat board 13 is an integralpart of the boat 10. Carried on seat board 13 is the base plate portion14 of the transport attachment device. This base plate is attached tothe seat board by means of straps l5. These straps are preferably firmlyattached to the base plate as by welding when the straps are metal, orby means of rivets, screws or'similar means..Under the seat the strapends are releaseably connected so as to firmly hold the base plate tothe seat board. The base plate also carries one, and preferably two,dowels 16 which penetrate into holes in the seat board and serve tofurther stabilize the transport device on the boat. By the use of thestraps and dowels there is a rigid mounting efiected with no relativemotion between the boat and transport device. Any relative motion wouldtend to mar and wear the seat. Further mounted on the base plate 14 isfork 17 which carries wheel 19. Attachment of the fork 17 to the baseplate is preferably by welding at 18. Wheel 19 is carried on the fork,the axle 25 of which is secured to the fork by the conventionaltechniques used to fasten front wheels to bicycles. This may consist ofeither open slots or holes in the fork ends with bolts to secure theaxle in these holes or slots. When holes are used the axle shaft passesthroughthe holes and wheel, and for removal of the wheel from the forkthe axle must be completely removed. When open slots are used the axlewhich passes through the wheel hub need not be removed for dismountingthe wheel from thefork; as for instance in storage all that is necessaryis that the end bolts be loosened and the wheel and axle removed. Thewheel 19 may be of the spoked bicycle type as illustrated, or of someother light weight, strong and durable design. A spoked bicycle wheel ispreferred due to its simplicity, strength and availability. The, tireportion of the wheel may be of a hard rubber or pneumatic type. FIG. 2illustratesthe same transport device but having different attachmentmeans to the boat. In this embodiment rigid bars 20 are firmly attachedto the .base plate I4as by welding, the use of rivets, screws orso on.Connected at essentially right angles to bars 20, and at extreme ends of20 are bars 21. This connection is a rigid connection using for examplewelding, rivets or screws. Bars 21 are bent at an angle so that theyessentially contact the rolled edge 12 of the boat. At the ends ofbars21 are clamp sections 22 which in conjunction with bars 21 are forced ina gripping or pinching contact with the rolled boat edge 12 bytightening means. 23, which in a preferred instance is a screw and wingnut arrangement. Other similar tightening means may be used.

FIG. 3 illustrates particularly the attachment means of the device ofFIG. 1 to the underside of the seat board. In essence the attachmentmeans of FIG. 1 is for boats where there is open space beneath the seatthrough which the straps 15 can be passed. The FIG. 2 attachment meansstraps can also be used where there is an open space beneath the seat,but it is efficiently used where there is no such open space beneath theseat through which straps can be passed. The attachment means of FIG. 3illustrates a strap 15 encircling the base plate 14 and seat 13. Thestrap securing means 24 here in a preferred embodiment is a draw boltarrangement which takes up any slack in the straps. This allows foradjustment of the device and permits its use on various size boats.Spring tensioned or quick release devices may be used, but the draw boltarrangement is preferred for its simplicity and durability.

FIG. 4 illustrates the penetration of the dowel pins, carried by thebase plate portion 14, into the seat board 13. These dowels serve tostabilize the base plate and prevent any relative motion between theseat board and base plate.

In a further embodiment there may be a reinforcing board or .platebetween the seat board and base plate. Further there may be a rubber orother piece to prevent any marring or scuffing of the seat board. If areinforcing board is used, the base plate may be of a thinnercomposition. Generally the base plate is steel, aluminum or aluminumalloy, although magnesium alloys, wood, plastic or some other materialmay be used. The fork section is generally of a steel as also the barsections 21 of FIG. 2. The straps of FIG. 1 are also preferably steel,although leather or some similar material may be used. The wheel is of asize of from 12 to 26 inches in diameter depending on the size boat andother 'factors. The boat itself may very operably be of a size of from 8to 16 feet, and have a weight of up to the range of about 150 pounds.Most boats of these characteristics are constructed of aluminum or fiberglass, with some still constructed of wood. Canoes may also be deviceusing the deice of this invention and are included in the term boat asused herein.

For transporting the boat after attachment of the device of thisinvention, the boat is inverted and steered, propelled and balanced onthe wheel. The person transporting the boat grips the rear stern panelof the boat, or handles on this stern panel and provides the steering,balancing, and propelling forces. When the boat is at rest, it issupported by the wheel and the broad stern portion of the boat whichthen contacts the ground. By use of the single wheel the boat is easilymanuervered over a trail to a lake or river.

This description and the views in the drawings set out the preferredforms of the invention, and the invention is not restricted thereto.Changes in materials and relative sizes and arrangements of componentsare contemplated as being within the scope of this invention as definedby the following appended claims.

I claim:

1. A boat transporting device comprising in combination a base platehaving a wheel rigidly attached thereto by means of a forked section,strap means attached to said base plate for attaching said base plate toa seat board of said boat and at least one dowel pin attached to saidbase plate, positioned to pass into the seat board of said boat toassure there is no relative motion between the said base plate and saidboat during transport.

2. A boat transporting device comprising in combination a base platehaving a wheel rigidly attached thereto by means of a forked section,clamp members attached to said base plate for attaching said base plateto the rolled edge of said boat at a position adjacent to a seat boardof said boat, and at least. one dowel pin attached to said base platepositioned to pass into the seat board of said boat to assure there isno relative motion between said base plate and said boat duringtransport.

1. A boat transporting device comprising in combination a base platehaving a wheel rigidly attached thereto by means of a forked section,strap means attached to said base plate for attaching said base plate toa seat board of said boat and at least one dowel pin attached to saidbase plate, positioned to pass into the seat board of said boat toassure there is no relative motion between the said base plate and saidboat during transport.
 2. A boat transporting device comprising incombination a base plate having a wheel rigidly attached thereto bymeans of a forked section, clamp members attached to said base plate forattaching said base plate to the rolled edge of said boat at a positionadjacent to a seat board of said boat, and at least one dowel pinattachEd to said base plate positioned to pass into the seat board ofsaid boat to assure there is no relative motion between said base plateand said boat during transport.